In the afterlife
by kuronekolily
Summary: What happened to her? Is she okay? When will she be with us. One Shot, Rated T because I'm not sure if children understand the issue.


Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all of it's characters belong to Hiro Mashima.

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Lucy, didn't know what had happened when she woke up.

She lay on a field of grass, under the clear blue sky, a light breeze moving the grass and her blonde hair. She sat up, barely noticing, that her right arm was there. Her right arm, and her guild mark. It both was back, but right now it wasn't what was most relieving to her. It took her a moment to understand, where she was, in fact, it was until she heard a voice, she thought she would never hear again, after being killed by Rogue.

She stood up, wobbling for a moment until she gained her footage and then started walking around. At least that was, what she meant to do. But she was stooped by the very voice, she had heard last. „Hey Lucy!" two words, she had heard so often in her life. Two words, which had become so precious to her, since the dragons had attacked them. Two words, and the very voice, she had missed so long, even though she had heard them, what felt like moments ago, before she woke up. The voice and the words of her partner. She turned around, to face him.

She had missed him, so much, actually. She had seen his determination, back then, when Rogue had attacked herself, her past self, and she saved herself. When he had died in front of her eyes, back in her own time. She had missed the cherryblossom coloured hair. The bright smile, showing off his canines. The dragon scaled scarf. "Get over here already!" Her brown eyes were tearing up, she couldn't help it. "Everyone's here waiting!" another familiar voice. How often had she thought he was annoying? How often had she had an argument with the flying blue cat, which wore nothing more than a bag? _Natsu, Happy._ The words were in her mind, because she found herself unable to speak.

The fire dragonslayer, smiling brightly, like he had always done, grabbed her by her arm. Her right arm. Which she had lost so long ago. She could see the pink colour of her guild mark, which was stamped onto her hand. Something that had happened what felt like an eternity ago. "Now... let's continue our adventure." he said, smiling, showing off his canines, one hand stretched into the sky. Happy flew by her other side, he too, was smiling. Like they had waited for her to arrive.

When Lucy looked away from her two cherished partners, she could see so many other familiar faces, she had missed for such a long time. The Strauss siblings, with Evergreen standing beside Elfman. Master Makarov, the small figure of the guild master, too with a bright smile, like he would wanted to say "_Hello child."_ The rest of the Raijinshu, with Laxus, who had as always crossed his arms. Juvia, waving happily, standing beside her beloved Gray, who had his hands in his pockets, but was smiling his well known smile. Cana, holding up a bottle of Sake, stretched into the sky, like she was ready to drink upon Lucys arrival. At her side Erza, the red haired knight. Wendy, waving at her with both her hands. She hasn't grown one inch, since Lucy had last seen her. Her blue hair in twintails, like she liked to have them, Charle, the white Exceed by her side, still looking grumpy, but slightly smiling. Right beside her, just like he wanted to contrast her white fur, stood the brown Exceed Lily, his arms crossed, but a smile on his lips. Right behind him, his arms crossed stood the last of Fairy Tails Dragonslayers, Gajeel. And, if she wasn't mistaken she could see a very faint smile on his lips too.

And there were Jet, and Droy, and Nab, Visita and Lucky. All of them were there. All of them had waited for her to arrive. Her heart was overflowing with happiness. How had she missed them all? How had she prayed to see all of them again? She wasn't able to stop the tears from falling. They run down her pink tinted cheeks. She had missed them, she had longed to see them again, to embrace them. To be with them again. Partying, having adventures with them, everything. "Yeah." She pressed out, with a tear-choked voice. She had arrived at her home again.

Despite the noisy and tearful moments of them reuniting she couldn't help but notice that one face was missing in the group. She had seen it in the Iron dragonslayers slightly disappointed looks, which were, to some extend mimicked by his small Exceed partner. And she too, knew who was missing. The blue haired girl, she claimed her best friend. Fairy Tails resident script mage and bookworm. Levy.

She had not seen the sky blue hair, which was held by a bright coloured bandana. And, judging the dragonslayer, who was wearing a matching headband, she hadn't arrived yet. Although they sat near the place of the field the guild was partying, he still seemed secluded from them. He sat in the grass, his legs crossed and one of his elbows propped up on his knee. His head, like it was heavy, placed on his hand, a bored look on his face. His black, spiky hair, which was a mess on normal days, was held together by a headband, she knew very well, because she had been the one to get it together with Levy. His partner, always by his side, and what seemed like trying to cheer him up some. So this too, was a familiar sight.

At one point, she went over to him, still smiling, and her face stained with dried tears. The pierced man looked up at her. It was rare, that she walked over to him freely. She always avoided it, being in fear he wanted her to do the background dancing, when he was about to sing his horrible songs. But not this time. She felt, she needed to talk to him, as odd as it sounded. It was like something was bothering him. The something being very obvious to her, to his partner, and to the rest of the guild. But nobody dared to speak to him about this, knowing his attitude. Even now, after all this happened, after... well... Even now they didn't want to talk to him about issues that could anger him. Lucy thought it was the right time.

Partly she knew what had happened. She had put two and two together a long time ago. And now that she had seen them interacting in the Grand Magic games she was certain what had happened to the proud iron mage.

She got down to her knees, still smiling faintly. She planned to talk to him about a very touchy subject. She hadn't said anything, when she heard his voice, as deep as always, his eyes averted from hers. "How's the shrimp doing?" Her heard ached from his words and the tone of his voice. He sounded guilty, for something he could not control. For something he thought he had done wrong. Going before her, most likely in front of her. Leaving her crying and in fear. She bit back a small smile, knowing it would insult him. Although he would never admit it, he had a thing for the script mage, he always had. The moment he looked up at her, seeing her face forcing back a smile, he turned his head away, his cheeks slightly pink, with a "Tch." Lily, his small cat partner, was much more audacious than Lucy, a big smirk was plastered on his face. He knew the dragonslayer better than anyone in the guild, so it was no surprise he knew about the mans feelings, maybe too better than anyone.

Lucy smiled, a bit sad but fond. Thinking about the small woman, who had always been by Gajeels side during the Games. And if not at his side, she had been cheering for him from the stands. And the Levy she had known, before she had travelled back in time. The strong Levy, with scars all over her small body. "She..." Lucy paused for a moment, recognising the dragonslayers red eyes on her.

"She helped all of us. All the survivors." she stated. It was one of the moments she saw the small girl in front of her eyes, leading survivors out of the danger. Patching up the injured. Levy had been the one, who had bandaged the remains of Lucys arm, crying with her. "She helps all of them to stay out from the danger until now. She always has."

The man scoffed. A slightly insulting sound, which was obviously not meant against the script mage, or Lucy. It was a sound he had accustomed to make. Then he fell back in silence. Like he wanted to leave it at this. Just to know if Levy did good. She sat there a while, while Gajeel and Lily were silent. She had just decided to go back to the others, when he asked her a question again. His voice was very low, as to prevent anybody from eavesdropping. As he wanted to make sure, nobody would realise what had already been obvious to most of them.

"Is it shitty to wish short stuff was here with us?" he asked, never calling Levy by her name and using his various nicknames instead. She knew what it meant, if he wished her to be here. It would mean he wished she was dead. She was shocked. Taken aback by his honesty. Of course Gajeel was the most honest man in the guild, he would never hold back his opinion. But this. He had never spoken like this when it came to Levy. He had never openly admitted that he missed her, regardless the reasons. Her heart ached again, even more now, when she saw how much he had to miss her, when he asked Lucy such things. "No." she said. She felt the same way, even though she had just arrived there. "No it isn't." Lucys smile widened when she said: "But you know, it takes much to bring her down." From the smirk on his lips she knew she didn't need to tell him how strong she was. How determined and how fierce. Because sometimes it seemed like he knew better than everyone.

With his smirk he looked down at his partner, who to sat there, cross legged, his tail twitching when he felt the mans gaze at him. "I miss the shorty."

Lucy was even more shocked at this comment, even though it didn't seem like he had talked to her, he had looked at his partners direction. Or had he just not wanted to look at her, when he confessed this?

"I'm looking forward to see her, when the right time arrives." The celestial spirit mage stared at the raven haired dragonslayer. His smirk still visible, his red eyes on his small partner, who had been silent while they had talked, and still didn't say a word. Although Lucy thought she saw him nodding slightly. The silent understanding between the two, made her eyes water up again. Although she had always known there had been something between those two, seeing him, the gruff man, admitting he missed her, wanting her at his side again, made her feel like crying.

She felt tears running down her cheeks again. But the dragonslayer didn't say anything about it, as if he knew it wasn't the right time to tease her.

The three of them sat there in silence for a while. Lucy silently crying, Gajeel and Lily just looking around, not saying a word. When her tears stopped from flowing she wiped the remains of the off her face, using her right arm again. Slowly she got back to her feet, dusting herself, which, if she was honest, wasn't needed. But she did it for the sake of using her right arm some more. She gave the dragonslayer a last smile and left. She didn't know if he hadn't seen it or just ignored it, but he went back to a conversation with the dark Exceed as soon as she arrived at Natsus side again.

The pinket smiled at her brightly, happy that she was with him again, and didn't bother asking what happened between her and Gajeel.

* * *

Gajeel didn't know how many time had elapsed. He wasn't even sure what time it was right now. All he knew was, that his small partner nudged his leg. When he looked down he saw a smile on the cats face, his tail twitching. He just raised a brow at him, not even asking what this was about. Lily, who was a very silent Exceed, compared to the others in the guild, didn't say a word, but him smiling like this made Gajeels guts twisting. He knew what that meant. He wasn't even in need to look up.

Just from his partners actions he knew what awaited him when he looked up. Then her scent hit her. The very scent he had missed. The scent, which had been the last thing he had smelled before he had closed his eyes. But back then it had been mixed up with blood and dust, and screams. Right now it was serene. The scent of ink and paper, and the fruity shampoo she always used. He was stunned for a moment, not able to move a single finger. His eyes fixed on the Exceed in front of him. The one who nodded at him in an encouraging manner.

He looked up.

There she stood. Her sky blue curled hair waving lightly in the breeze. A bright coloured headband around her had, which looked strangely matching to his. Her brown eyes slightly narrowed from the smile on her face, gleaming like the stars themselves.

She was with them now. "Shorty."

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Damn you inspiration! I should have written on my other fanfiction. But this one just popped up in my head, after reading a conversation on tumblr. Thanks 'forevertableflip', 'endrella' and 'misscrissc' for posting that on my dashboard.

I never had this kind of feels when I wrote a fanfiction. The feelings I get on my other one are completely different...

I hope you enjoyed it.

Reviews are welcome.


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